When I read Aknin and Dunn’s paper, one clear, useable insight jumped out: the emotional return from giving — the happiness people feel — helps make generosity self-reinforcing. In short, people who reflect on giving feel happier, and that happiness makes them more likely to give again. That’s a concrete lever fundraisers can design for.

When I set out to explore the role of experiential marketing in the third sector, I had a simple but pressing question in mind: does the “experience economy” really have something practical to offer charities?